bosphorus ferry boat tour

bosphorus ferry boat tour Istanbul Reviews

There are lots of sights on the Asian side of the Bosphorus such as Beylerbeyi Palace, K├╝├ž├╝ksu Palace, Anadolu Hisari, Anadolu Kavagi. I visited all of these during our four year stay in Istanbul, but no longer have any photos of all of them.

Beylerbeyi Palace is on the Asian side of the Bosphorus near the Bosphorus Bridge. Beylerbeyi Palace was an Ottoman summer residence built in the 1860s. It was commissioned by Sultan Abd├╝laziz. He used it as his summer residence and for entertaining important visitors. Empress Eug├ęnie of France visited Beylerbeyi on route to the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Legend states that when Empress Eug├ęnie entered the palace she had linked arms with Sultan Abd├╝laziz, and his mother Pertevniyal Sultan, was so outraged by her overfamiliarity that she slapped her right across the face. Other important visitors included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

The deposed Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II lived in captivity in Beylerbeyi Palace from 1912 until his death in 1918. He was deposed after the 1908 Young Turk Revolution.This revolution was brought about due to unhappiness at Sultan Abdulhamid II's dissolution of the Ottoman parliament and constitution. His actions had given him absolute control for 30 years.

K├╝├ž├╝ksu means small stream. K├╝├ž├╝ksu Palace is a summer palace in K├╝├ž├╝ksu on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. This little European style palace was used by Ottoman sultans as a hunting lodge. It was commissioned by Sultan Abdul Mejid I and designed by architect Garabet Amira Balyan. The palace was completed in 1857. The palace appeared in the James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough".

Anadolu Hisari is a fortress on the Asian side of the Bosporus. It was built between 1393 and 1394 by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I. He was nicknamed The Thunderbolt. He wanted this fortress as a base from which to organize the Second Ottoman Siege of Constantinople. Another fortress, Rumelihisari was built

between 1451 and 1452 by Mehmet the Conqueror opposite Anadoluhisari on the European side of the Bosphorus in order to obtain absolute control over ships sailing on the Bosphorus Strait.

One place I do have photos of is Anadolu Kavagi. This is the last stop on the Bosphorus cruise, but you can also get here by bus. It is a small fishing village with fish restaurants and a ruined castle.

The castle is called Yoros Castle. There was also a castle on the opposite side of the Bosphorus in Rumeli Kavagi A massive chain could be stretched across the Bosphorus between these two castles to prevent enemy warships from entering the Bosphorus.

Yoros Castle was in a very strategic location and the Byzantines, Genoese, and Ottomans fought over it for many years. In 1305 it was conquered by Ottoman forces, then recaptured by the Byzantines. Sultan Bayezid I, the thunderbolt, seized control of the castle in 1391 while he was preparing for his siege of Constantinople.

In 1399 the Byzantines tried and failed to recapture Yoros Castle. The Ottomans retained control of the fortress from 1391 until 1414 when they lost it to the Genoese. The Genoese retained control of the castle for the next forty years. When Mehmed the Conqueror took control of Constantinople in 1453, he drove the Genoese out.

There are also lovely beaches on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. Friends took us to one by car, but I have forgotten the beach's name.

More Beautiful Places on the European Side of the BosphorusFeb 25, 2017

Tarabya and Bebek

Tarabya is a district on the European side of the Bosphorus. It has a marina, riverside walkway and a big posh hotel called The Grand Tarabya. This hotel used to be very popular with Arab tourists and you would normally see lots of Arabs strolling around the Tarabya waterfront. It's quite a nice area for a stroll beside the Bosphorus.

Tarabya has always been a popular place for the wealthy citizens of Istanbul to escape the heat of summer and the crowded city streets. Foreign diplomats and rich Turks built luxurious villas here. Tarabya has many expensive waterfront restaurants.

In our last year in Istanbul I was sent out to various parts of Istanbul to teach different individuals or in different companies. Once a week I had to teach in Bebek. Bebek is a pretty village on the European side of the Bosphorus. I had to teach a little girl who lived in a restored old wooden house here. Bebek has a lovely walkway along the waterfront. It is perfect for a stroll or for a seat on a park bench enjoying watching the boats sailing to and fro on the Bosphorus.

In the 19th century, just like in nearby Tarabya, Ottoman aristocrats built their summer houses here because it was cooler, cleaner and less crowded than the centre of Istanbul. Bebek has shops, restaurants and cafes and is a pleasant place to visit.

don't leave before you do it. but i recommend it you to do it with ido company. i did it last spring it was 25 turkish liras for the long trip. at this long trip they give you 2 tickets so you can choose 1 station to visit. i recommend Anadolu Kava─č─▒ it is a small town mostly fishermen live . it's full of trees and this is the most green area that you can find in istanbul. after you get off from ferry at Anadolu Kava─č─▒, there is a castle at the top of the hill called yoros castle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoros_Castle) you can find it easily with sings, first go there you will get tired a little bit after that go back and eat fresh mussel and calamary with cold beer you gona love it! and eat some ice cream -don't pay more than 50 turkish lira for per person for all this meal make bargain before you sit at a restaurant- than take the ferry again with the same ticket. you shoul check the schedule 1 day before at least because ferry is very rare be careful about time.this ferry takes off from sirkeci-emin├Ân├╝ and has too much stations don't get of at the wrong station there is no anouncement in the ferry ask the staff around there but they don't know english so speak slowly and be simple and clear. you may just ask the name of the station. and one last thing seat the right side if you want to see spectacular mansions next to the bosphorus or don't take risk just choose the top seats of the ferry so you can see the both side. you will find the peace with this trip promise

Down at Bogaz Iskelesi, the Bosphorus cruises pier, you can find many a ship eager to take you on a cruise. There are some well established operators that have their own buildings by the river where you can get tickets for a cruise, but also many solicitors on the streets that will take a collection of tourists to a side pier in a smaller boat for an equally enjoyable experience. This is often a cheaper option too and nothing to fear here. They just drive you a short way because they are not doing business as one of the major cruise operators. Nevertheless, this is well worth doing. The waters of the Bosphorus are a deep blue and the sights and sounds that can be experienced on such a cruise is a perfect way to spend an afternoon. From the Galata tower to the Bosphorus Bridge and back, it is something to savor. From out in the Bosphorus you get a sense of the grand scope of the city and can really appreciate the scenery and see the multitude of Mosques scattered in the city beyond the shores. A tour of Istanbul is not complete without a cruise of this kind. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Afterward, have a lunch at Tahiri Eminonu Balik Ekmek for a fresh fish sandwich, enjoy some Lokma (fried dough) or Kestane Kebabi (roasted chestnuts) at Eminonu Pier, walk around and watch people.

Whether you take a traditional Istanbul ferryboat, or a smaller, faster TurYol or other boat, you're sure to enjoy a tour-cruise up the Bosphorus. You can do it in as little as 1.5 hours.

You set out from the Emin├Ân├╝ ferryboat docks (on the Golden Horn between Galata Bridge and Sirkeci Station) and head north toward the Black Sea. More...

Here are the sights you'll see (including six Ottoman palaces), divided into two parts, the Southern Bosphorus (from the Golden Horn and city center to the Bosphorus Bridge) and the Northern Bosphorus, (from the Bosphorus Bridge to the Black Sea):

Southern Bosphorus

The most impressive sights are along the southern shores of the Bosphorus, nearest to the city: Topkap─▒ Palace, the mid-Bosphorus Maiden's Tower, the Selimiye Barracks (where Florence Nightingale worked), Dolmabah├že Palace, ├çira─čan Palace, Y─▒ld─▒z Park & Palace, the chic art-boutique-and-cafe scene in the village of Ortak├Ây, the pretty Ottoman baroque Mecidiye Mosque, and the Bosphorus Bridge. More...

Northern Bosphorus

Beyond the Bosphorus Bridge there's plenty more to see: Beylerbeyi Palace, the village of ├çengelk├Ây, Kuleli Naval Academy, Arnavutk├Ây with its photogenic Ottoman yal─▒s (wooden Bosphorus seaside mansions), Rumeli Hisar─▒ (the mighty Fortress of Europe), the town of Bebek with its pretty bay, and Bosphorus University.

North of the Fatih Bridge, second to be built across the Bosphorus, is Anadolu Hisar─▒ (the Fortress of Anatolia), K├╝├ž├╝ksu Kasr─▒ (a fine little rococo palace), the Hidiv Kasr─▒ (fine Art Nouveau villa built in 1900 for the Khedive of Egypt), the pretty restaurant village of Tarabya, the town of B├╝y├╝kdere (with its excellent Sadberk Han─▒m Museum), and Sar─▒yer (with a fish market and several seafood restaurants on the shore).

Rumeli Kava─č─▒ (the farthest northern dock on the European shore of the Bosphorus), and Anadolu Kava─č─▒ (the final dock on the Bosphorus cruise-tour) are about 10 km (6 miles) south of the Black Sea, but these docks are as far as the Bosphorus cruises go.

If you take the traditional ferry's Bosphorus tour all the way to the end, you will have to wait three hours at the northern terminus of Anadolu Kava─č─▒ for the ferry's departure for the return to Istanbul. But you can get off the boat in Sar─▒yer, have lunch, then ride south along the shore.

If you want to have a cheaper option to tour the Bosphorus on a boat - go for the ferry instead of the cruise. The ferry cost only TL 10 and the cruise can go up to TL 30 per person. Experience will be the same except that the cruise option has more comfortable seat & lunch provided. Well, I went for the ferry.

It was pouring and it was also the last day of my visit to Turkey, so I still went for it. I dock the ferry at the Eminonu jetty. There were only 7 passengers including me so it was quite empty. Anyhow, the ride takes you along the lower Bosphorus line covering sites like below (just to name a few):

*Blue Mosque

*Sofia Sophia

*Dohlambace Palace

*Iskele Mosque

*Naval Museum

*Bosphorus Bridge

The ride takes approx. 1.5 hours and you an sip tea on board while enjoying the view. This is definitely a recommended tour in the afternoon. I did enjoy it very much.